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Baseball: Jack Douglas, Knights break out in series finale with Yorkville

YORKVILLE – Jack Douglas found himself in an unfamiliar position at the start of Thursday's game.

Sitting.

[Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com]

Douglas, Kaneland's starting quarterback in football, is the first baseman for the Knights' baseball team. For the first time this season, though, Douglas found himself on the bench.

"It feels weird because you're used to being out there," Douglas said. "When you get your number called, you got to react."

Douglas sure did.

He drilled a pinch-hit two-run double in the fifth inning, breaking a tie with Yorkville. The Knights poured things on with an 11-run sixth, staving off a sweep of the Northern Illinois Big 12 series with a 16-2, six-inning win.

[Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com]

Robbie Dudzinski hit a two-run homer and Luke Gomes had a three-shot in the big sixth, and Angel Acevedo struck out 12 in a complete-game effort for Kaneland (6-4, 1-2).

"It felt good to get at least one of these," Douglas said.

It felt better when Douglas strode to the plate with two men on and one out in a 2-2 tie. Douglas crushed Grant Weiland's 1-1 hanging curveball over the Yorkville center fielder, scoring two.

"I was just looking for that curveball. I knew he was leaving it up on the previous batters," Douglas said. "I was waiting for it."

Kaneland coach Brian Aversa said Douglas' rare off day was nothing more than a numbers game, and he was impressed with how he handled it.

"We told him just because you're out, you're not totally out," Aversa said. "He came in at a good time for us, an opportune time, and he's capable of that. It's tough getting everybody on the field. I'm glad Jack stuck with it. He's been seeing the ball, well, but when you have 10-11 guys seeing the ball well it's tough."

[Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com]

Acevedo made things tough on Yorkville.

The junior lefty struck out the side in the first inning, and struck out the side again to navigate out of a bases-loaded jam in the third.

He did so with a sharp breaking ball that improved as the game wore on.

"He was dangerous today, and we needed to see that from him," Aversa said. "He hasn't had many outings this year. It was good to get him some confidence and get rolling in a conference game."

Acevedo was called up to varsity as a sophomore, throwing in the Kaneland rotation.

His curveball has come a long way since then.

"Last year I couldn't throw it for a strike," Acevedo said. "Today I'm so happy that I could get it down and command it. I'm looking forward to developing that pitch."

[Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com]

It baffled Yorkville slugger Ty Liaromatis, who homered off Kaneland Wednesday. Acevedo struck out Liaromatis three times with runners on base, twice on called third strikes on a curveball and the third swinging at a high fastball.

"He's a dangerous hitter," Acevedo said. "I knew the curveball would be important."

"The furthest I'd ever gone before was five innings, I've always had that struggle with stamina," Acevedo said. "I had 100 pitches today, my arm feels fine. I thought it would be cool to get a complete game."